Artist Point

I'm so excited that fall is here! The moody weather, pumpkin beer, crisp air, and warm drinks are all my favourite.

In my humble opinion, the best place to go in the fall is Artist Point on Mt. Baker. It's a really amazing place! Right from the border crossing the road is long and curvy, taking you by lovely cottages and gorgeous tree tunnels. 

This time of year, you can drive past the ski area to a parking a bit higher up. From there, trails go off in all directions. I haven't explored all these paths, but I've become familiar with the trail to Tabletop Mountain. It's steep at the beginning, but quickly levels off so that you can wander easily for a couple of kilometers with panoramic views. 

Technically Artist Point isn't actually on Baker, but a smaller peak near the base. I'm always astounded by how few people are up there! On a typical weekend, the parking lot will be fairly full, but with so many trails, we don't actually run into many people, if any.

The area at the top of the mountain is like the surface of the moon. It's rocky and uneven, with spectacular cliffs and lovely little lakes. I sound like I'm gushing, but it's really a wonderful place! I'm totally infatuated. 

We tried to take advantage of the melted snow to explore a few of the dirt roads in the area that are normally completely inaccessible. Each one ended in a map indicating a host of new trailheads, meaning there are an overwhelming amount of trails to check out in the area. It'll take years to get to know them all!

This last shot is my adventure vehicle and me down a random dirt road near Baker. He's such a little trooper of a mini suv and I love him :)